


An Everlasting Flame

by ToeGirth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Drama, F/M, Gen, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToeGirth/pseuds/ToeGirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Usually when one thinks of life after death they think of heaven or hell. They definitely don't think about being reborn, let alone in the world of Naruto. This was going to be interesting...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Disclaim.

Authors Note- Hello and welcome to my first story! Yes it's a self insert. Don't hate me; I already hate me enough for even trying it. I have no idea where this story is going but it’s been running circles in my head for a while now. I will try to keep everyone as in character as possible. If I mess something up feel free to bash my head in. This story has been greatly influenced by the story Dreaming of Sunshine. I highly recommend it. Its good, well thought out and, interesting. I can only hope for this story to be half as good as that one. But alas this note has turned to a letter so without further ado here is the story.

 

Chapter 1- Gone

_“Life goes on as I’m fading away,”_ Untitled- Simple Plan

It was weird; my death and funeral. The whole week had been a little wonky. Usually I would work afternoons and evenings but this week I had gotten a lot of mornings, as well as work on Friday. I had only had work on Friday twice before; once when a coworker had been injured, and once when a coworker was sick, which was why this Friday was so weird.

No one was sick or hurt; the schedule just said I had a shift. The morning was like any other: I got dressed, had coffee, forgot breakfast, and piled into the car with the rest of my family.

My step-father was on time, and picked me up on his way home from work. But it was Friday so we weren't going straight home. Instead we headed toward my father’s house to pick up my brothers for the weekend. We never made it. The truck hit us fast and hard, and I almost wished I had died on impact.

Instead I went to the hospital and was stuck in a coma for a week before passing on. That week was scary. Sometimes I would hear people talking and, sometimes all I would hear was a continuous beeping. My thoughts were fragmented and panicky.

The worst part was when it hurt. There was so much pain all over my body. It pricked me from my toes to the tips of my hair. Rational thought was impossible as the pain corrupted my sense of logic. _And I couldn't move_.

 I couldn't complain and tell people I was in pain. I couldn't scream and, as much I hate to admit it I couldn't cry either. By that point I would have done almost anything to make the pain go away. The pain never leassoned, but over time my body adjusted. It registered the pain as familiar and continued to try to work.

I was like a soldier that couldn’t feel their wounds; I would continue to fight until I collapsed from blood loss. Eventually the pain, just as every other thought, slowly faded to the background of my being.

The cold started in my toes and fingers but it spread to other areas quite fast. Fall had always been my favorite season. I love the cold and the multicolored leaves. This was different. It wasn't a bad cold or a good cold. It was just cold, numbing.

I surrendered to the cold because it was familiar, safe. After that there was just nothing. No feelings, no conscious thought. The next thing I knew I was watching my family and friends all gathered together on a sunny summer day.

There was one thing about that last statement that really made it all sink in. My friends didn't like my dad too much, but there they were comforting the grieving man. I turned to the freshly dug hole and watched the Rabbi's pray as they lowered a casket- my casket into the ground.

And I understood I was dead. It was a little frightening that I didn't really fight the thought of being dead. I loved my friends and my family, I would truly miss them, but that's as far as my grieving could go.

Loud sobbing disturbed my thoughts as I tried to pinpoint the sound. My older sister had always been a bit of a crybaby. I felt bad about dying, about leaving them. She had finally found a way to be happy, and here I was dying and ruining her happiness.

God that sounded weird, even to me. Speaking of God I wondered where he was. I had grown up a religious Jew and the thought of God not existing was kind of weird. If He didn't exist what was I supposed to do now?

Although I guess it makes sense that He wasn't there. He can't be greeting every newly dead soul. In fact did I even have the right religion? You'd think you would figure something like that out when you died but here I was with absolutely no clue.

With my speculative thoughts as my only companion I slowly drifted. I say drifted because I had no idea where I was. A few times I could have sworn I was at my dad's house as people came to give their condolences. But then I was at my mother's viewing the same thing.

Was I teleporting? That's kinda cool. Or at least it would have seemed more interesting if I wasn't, you know, dead. I couldn't really keep track of the time, but the images of people comforting my family just started to blend into each other after a while. As time went on I started getting tired.

At the tender age of nine I had begun suffering from insomnia. It used to get so bad I would be living day to day life with only three or four hours of sleep, give or take a little. So as a recovering insomniac I never liked passing up a chance to sleep.

And the warmth that engulfed me every time I closed my eyes was so enticing. The periods of time that my eyes stayed firmly shut grew and grew until my sleeping mind was but one of many as I embraced the warmth.

It's hard to notice something disappear when you have so many, especially when no one alive knew of my continued existence. My thoughts became slow and garbled as I slowly but surely faded from my world.

 

A/N Thanks for reading, every bit of feedback is apreciated. Also, I know this chapter is short but they do get longer. So far I have nineteen and a half chapters written up. I will most likely post once or twice a week until I run out of chapters. I hope you enjoyed!

ToeGirth,

Signing Out


	2. Crud Muffins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: It's not mine!  
> Authors Note: So I was going to wait a week, but the first few chapters are so short that I felt bad for leaving you with only that. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2- Crud Muffins

_“The pictures in his mind awoke, and began to breathe,”_ Blue Lips- Regina Spektor

I don't know how long I had been sleeping for, all I knew was that I was comfortable and I didn't want to move. So with nothing better to do I went back to sleep. When I woke up again I began to wonder how long I had been sleeping.

It must have been quite a while because I was nowhere near as tired as I used to be. And that was saying something. I had had insomnia for so long that sometimes I would forget how it feels to be fully rested. But there I was almost feeling… good. It was weird, but I didn't want to question it any further. If I was able to sleep, why not? And with that I once again lost consciousness.

I woke up a few more times but for the most part I stayed asleep. Blissfully ignorant of the world I did not yet know I would be joining. There was one time I woke up and, uncomfortable, I tried to move. I almost panicked when I went to roll over only to realize I couldn't.

My panic was short lived though, as I soon realized that I could move but it was just harder than it used to be. Shrugging it off as sluggishness from sleepiness I went back to sleep. Again.

The time I spent awake began to grow, as did my movements. I started twisting and turning a lot, trying to find a comfortable position, but I couldn't. This place that had once been my warm safe haven was becoming stifling. In my old life I used to find small spaces I could climb into. I liked being curled up in a small area with my blankets.

Once, my mother had begun panicking when she couldn't find me only for my younger brother to discover my sleeping body inside the toy box. I knew I liked cramped spaces which is why my sudden claustrophobia came as such a surprise.

I wanted to scream but there was something around my throat cutting me off. Just as I thought it couldn't get any worse it did. My whole body felt as if it was being squeezed through a tube. Is this what Apparating feels like? My brain must have been malfunctioning if that's what I was thinking as I suffocated.

The squeezing sensation ended but soon after there were so many more things overwhelming my senses. Something bright was stabbing at my eyes. Something loud was pounding at my ears. Something warm was on my body, and I still  _couldn't breathe._

It reminded me so much of my time in the hospital after the crash. I hadn't been able to move or scream, just lay there in pain. When I was close to passing out due to suffocation, the thing around my neck disappeared. I was still so scared.

 I couldn't do or say anything when I was in a coma but I could definitely make noise now. And I screamed. Loud long wailing cries. I screamed myself into a frenzy until I passed out from the strain. Thinking on it now, that's kind of embarrassing. I was never much of a screamer. I would jump and gasp but never full out scream.

The next time I woke it was to a swaying sensation. I felt arms around me which, again, scared me. I hate being scared, and here I was getting freaked out by every new thing. But someone was holding me, touching me. Two things I don't feel comfortable with.

Why was I so small? Why couldn't I move? How did I end up at the mercy of giants? And how come I was hungry? I was so used to being dead and asleep I didn't remember the last time I felt hungry, and right now it felt like the most important thing in the world.

Before I started screaming in frustration something was shoved in my mouth. I choked at first but eventually got the hang of it. I felt disgusting though. The liquid would often dribble down my chin and I was still too clumsy in my new body to do anything about it.

All of this made me want to scream again but instead I found myself falling asleep. Although I couldn't see where I was, the next time I awoke I knew I was somewhere different. My eyes had never been this bad even without my glasses. I could feel the now familiar frustration growing. It peaked when I heard voices and could not distinguish a thing the person said.

I started screaming again but this time I was shushed by the unfamiliar voice. It was deep, rich and, warm; I could already feel myself calming even if I didn't understand what the man said.

My days began to fall into a routine; I would wake up, eat and, sleep. That was it. After all my initial fear wore off I just got bored, but the worst part was that I was always tired. Being tired is no foreign thing to me but never had moving my body, trying to speak, even holding up my head been so exhausting.

By this point in time I had come to the conclusion that all the evidence pointed to. I had been reincarnated. The very thought seemed so weird but I couldn't think of any other explanation so instead of fighting it I began to adjust.

I was good at adjusting having done it many times in my previous life (which was one thing I wasn't even going to think about, shouldn't I have lost all my memories? Way too confusing,) so I started with what I could fix first. I didn't know what the voices above me said so I would listen and learn; my body was weak so I would push myself until it worked.

Simple but effective. For the most part. I learned of my new parents. My mother was young and pretty, her name Akiko; my father was handsome with laugh lines and a big smile, his name Kinzoku. It took a while but eventually I figured out that this 'Suikazura' person my parents always spoke of was actually me.

It was embarrassing that I hadn't figured that out sooner, even if I was in the body of a baby my mind was still my own which just makes me feel stupid. There was another part of my family that I was not aware of until now.

His name was Kotetsu, my older brother. I'd never had an older brother before, and the thought of having a new life with one was so exciting that I pushed the odd familiarity of the name to the back of my mind.

Our parents would never let him hold me without one of them being nearby, too afraid that he would drop me. I looked up into his face and took it all in. He could not have been more than seven with big cheeks spiky hair and a large smile. He was just as excited to see me as I was to see him.

By six month old I had settled in, become comfortable with my new family. They quickly became something I didn't want to lose. And for a while, even though I felt helpless so often, I was genuinely happy. Maybe that's why I was so angry when I felt the itching.

I had gotten used to my body, I had understood and pushed my physical limits, and here it was doing something new. I could practically here a voice saying,

"Oh you thought you could just settle in and be happy? What were you thinking? Here why don't I quickly ruin this and make sure something like that never happens again." Sarcasm aside, it  _itched_. Everywhere, all over my body; as if someone had filled my blood stream with itchy powder.

I was uncomfortable and irritable the whole night and thus so was my family the whole next day. By the time the whole Itchy Blood process was over I felt weird. There was a new energy around me, like a second skin just not physical. I was scared of it at first.

The energy automatically circulated through my body, I could feel it in my blood, but I couldn't control it. I didn't know what it was or what to do with it, all I knew was that something weird that hadn't been there before was now all over me. I eventually became comfortable enough with it to ignore its existence.

As months passed I grew. I was two and half and speaking, though not often. I hated sounding stupid so if I couldn't put my thoughts into a full sentence I wouldn't speak. My brother always picked on my saying I was stupid and, unable to respond fully.

I would kick him in the shin. It was only fair, at least that's what I told my dad when he found us. My dad is funny. He had a laid back air about him, always relaxed, and usually let us fight it out. He told my mom it was good and that it built character.

We all know he never stopped us because it was funny to see me hit Kotetsu and him be unable to hit back for fear of hurting me. My mom was very different from my dad. She was always calm though never easy going. If she told you to do something she expected it to get done. She never yelled but I had seen her scare Kotetsu white on more than one occasion with only a look.

Slowly more time began to pass and at the age of three I met my brother's best friend Izumo. Kotetsu always talked about him, he would complain and say how Izumo never let him copy his homework because he thought Kotetsu was lazy for not doing it himself, but I knew they were good friends.

They went to school together and sometimes Izumo would come over but I was always napping around that time. But today was different. They came in and Izumo introduced himself to me, but honestly all I could do was stare.

 He had chin length light brown hair and wore a hat. His name was Izumo and he was best friends with Kotetsu my brother. With Kotetsu Hagane a Chunin from the child's show Naruto. It all began to click.

Why the names were so familiar, why my brother was so strong, why he always referred to school as ‘The Academy’, and why my parents, who were civilians, didn't like his choice to go there. I was in the world of Naruto. Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Leave a comment and let me know what you think. See you next chapter.  
> ToeGirth,  
> Signing Out


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If I were a flower then I would produce pollen, but seeing as I'm human, I don't own this.  
> Authors Note: Here's the next chapter to anyone actually waiting. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3- The Art of Making a Fool of Yourself

 _“I’m bleeding out, I’m bleeding out for you,”_ Bleeding out- Imagine Dragons

Kotetsu had been excited all week. After speaking with our parents they had said Izumo could sleep over for the weekend. They had never had a sleep over before so naturally it was the only thing Kotetsu spoke about. It got annoying after a while but my parents just used it for ammunition.

Every time they saw him slacking on his chores or homework, our mother would make an offhand comment about having guests with a dirty house or him spending the weekend doing all the homework he missed.

It was all rather funny. I too was excited to see my brother's friend. Kotetsu had said he was smart and I wanted to pick his brains. There were so many new things in this world and I wanted to know as much as I could.

At first I had assumed I had been reborn in my world just on the other side of it, but I was soon proven wrong. Before I could walk my mother would strap me to her back and carry me around the town as she did her errands. Peeking over her shoulder I could only stare wide eyed at everything around me. It was so different from what I was used to.

The streets were made of packed dirt, and the buildings were old but sturdy looking. The village had originally been built inside a forest and it showed. Some of the houses had deformed trees as a wall and a blanket of leaves alongside their shingles.

Nature seemed to bend around the towns’ people and their lives. Long tree limbs were used as bridges from roof to roof and roots were jungle gyms in the local parks. Nothing had a set price, and this was proven to me when my mother haggled over everything she bought so as to get the lowest price (she can be a little cheap sometimes,).

After learning all of this I knew I had been thrown into completely new territory and thus wanted to figure out as much as I could. I had practiced my letters but it would be a while before I was able to read even the simplest of things, and my family only had the patients to explain so much to me.

So at the thought of meeting someone new, someone who hadn't had it with my questions already, I wanted to talk to them. There was also a small part of me that wanted to play with them. Kotetsu had promised that he and Izumo would teach me how to climb a tree, something I hadn't done since I was ten myself.

It's weird, being older than your older brother. Every time I thought about it, it sent my mind in never-ending circles that only gave me a head ache. It was with these thoughts in my head that I sat at the living room window trying to catch a glimpse of them. Eventually I spotted the two of them running down the street, chatting and fighting along the way.

I never liked appearing excited, it has always made me feel like the people around me have a nonexistent advantage and it makes me feel awkward. I don't like awkward situations and for me the way to prevent them was to pretend to be in complete control.

So as they neared the door I sat on the floor and began assembling my toys with a calm air about me. I heard a snort and glanced to my left only to see my father give me a knowing look. I sighed in annoyance at myself for forgetting he was in the room. That was embarrassing.

The noise outside our house picked up and I looked up just to see them come in. Kotetsu glanced around before spotting me on the floor and waving me over.

"Suikazura come here and meet Izumo."  I happily got up and brushed myself off as I hobbled over awkwardly. I still wasn't quite used to walking yet. It doesn't help that my lack of balance seemed to have carried itself over to this world as well. Looking up I smiled brightly at the boy as he introduced himself.

"Hello, you must be the Suikazura I've heard so much about. My name is Izumo, it's nice to meet you," Kotetsu blushed a little at the first part as if embarrassed to have been caught talking about his little sister. And then the rest of his sentence finally registered.

Taking in his appearance, I just didn’t know what to do. The proof is in the pudding and, though I couldn’t say that everything blatantly says I'm in the Naruto world, there was enough evidence to point rather obnoxiously in that direction.

What are you supposed to do in a situation like this? Smile and accept it? Get upset? Have a breakdown? Faint? Okay I definitely wasn't doing that last one. There really wasn’t any way to check right that moment so I just pushed it to the back of my mind to deal with later. I needed to think on it and now wasn’t the time. The boys noticed my silence and Kotetsu looked at me almost worriedly.

"Kotetsu you never said she was shy," Izumo said lightly.

"I'm not, I was just thinking. Sorry. It's nice to meet you Izumo," was my rushed reply.

"You were thinking? But you never do that Suikazura! Are you all right?" I glared at Kotetsu. He always teases me like that. In my old life I often found myself saying similar things to my younger siblings. I had also been on this end many times before, but just because I'd done it doesn't mean I like it. I pushed him lightly and he just laughed at me.

My father finally got up off the couch and went over to greet Izumo. My mother wouldn't be getting home for a while longer. She worked as a seamstress and made lots of beautiful clothes. She liked working in the store that she works for so she only brought a project home when someone in the family is sick, she didn't get to finish something at work, or my father had a job.

My father worked as a carpenter so he only goes out when he had a job, leaving him at home with me a lot. In those times when it was just the two of us he taught me to read, told me stories, and took me to the playground to swing.

I had been thinking again and had forgotten to pay attention to the conversation, only being pulled out of my thoughts at the sound of my name.

"Um what?" was my automatic reply causing Kotetsu to laugh and my father, who had been the one speaking, to grin a little.

"I said; it will be a while before your mother gets home and dinner is ready. Why don't we have the boys take you to the park." My eyes lit up at the idea as Kotetsu began to protest.

"Aww come on Kotetsu. You promised you would show me how to climb that big tree." So I was whining. But I was three okay? Well I might have been a bit older than three but they didn't need to know that. Kotetsu's mind was made up when Izumo interjected and said that teaching me to climb trees would be fun, and so the three of set out towards the park.

The boys walked ahead a little but would slow down every time I began to fall too far behind. Learning how to climb a tree sounded great, but right then I was even more interested in the surroundings. If I was indeed in Konoha, like I believed I was, then I should be able to spot the Hokage monument at some point. I think.

I had no doubts about which country I had been born into. My brother was  _the_ Kotetsu Hagane, and his best friend was _the_  Izumo Kamizuki. They weren't famous but they were there.

I didn't know what part of the time line I was in because I never really paid that much attention to the ages of the minor characters, but I knew Izumo and Kotetsu.

My plan on spotting the monument would have worked, except I had forgotten to take into account my height. I forgot I was short. Darn it. I could’ve just asked one of the boys to point it out but by then I was determined to find it on my own. That would be really hard (not to mention embarrassing,) if my hunch was wrong and I wasn’t in the Naruto world…

I sighed to myself in exasperation. I should really stop thinking because the only thing it was doing right then was giving me a headache and ruining my day. If I wasn't in the Naruto world then I would live a peaceful life here in this village. If I was in the Naruto world… well… I'd need to think about that one.

What was I supposed to do? Should I try to change everything? But everything worked out in the manga, or seemed like it would, and I couldn’t be too sure it would work out if I changed anything.

And aside from all that, I didn’t even know when I was. Kotetsu and Izumo are ten, I thought to myself, trying to figure it out. That didn’t tell me a thing, I thought dejectedly. I sighed again and just decided to focus on climbing trees until later that evening.

In my old life I hadn't learned how to climb trees until I was six, and I was never able to get very far. I usually just ended up reading a book on one of the lower hanging branches. I couldn’t help but wonder how far I could get with two ninja in training at my side.

A new thought occurred to me as I entered the park, something that I probably should have thought of before (I am again embarrassed at my own stupidity,). If I could get myself to the top of one of the trees I would probably be able to see the monument.

With a new determination, I entered the park and marched right towards our intended tree. We began and as I rested my hands on the tree something felt weird. I know that trees are alive, but this tree was  _alive._

It was warm and I could feel it practically vibrating under my fingers, as if it was happy to see me and trying to welcome me into its boughs. I wondered if this was the fault of the energy-chakra, my mind supplied. Either way there was, again, nothing I could do but store this information away until I had the chance to think.

Unfortunately I was still three and chubby with baby fat, which made actually getting anywhere rather difficult. Izumo seemed to catch on to my frustration and climbed up a branch higher before holding out his hand to me and helping me up.

Kotetsu from his spot higher up looked down and notices the trouble I was having. After laughing at me and teasing me he climbed down enough so that he too, could slowly help me make my way up the tree.

The teasing was annoying but I wasn't stupid enough to let that bother me. I knew he was just playing and using my inability to climb as an excuse to help me without seeming nice.

Boys are funny like that. They hate being caught doing something good, which just meant when we got home that night I would just _have_ to brag to my parents about my  _amazing_  big brother  and how he helped me climb up the tree. That ought to be fun.

We never made it to the top but we were still fairly high up. When I finally felt safe enough to take my eyes off the tree and look around me I searched for the familiar faces. Yep, there it was; the Hokage monument in all its glory. That was troubling.

So I was in the world of Naruto. I wondered how that happened. If I died again would I be reborn in another world? If so I hoped it wasn't one about to be torn apart by war. That would be nice.

Oh right the war. I was probably going to die in that, if I were a ninja. Did I want to be a ninja? No, I didn't. But because I knew the future I felt like I had an obligation to change it. Yet I still didn't know if that would be the right thing to do. The whole situation was just so frustrating.

I felt like I needed help; like I would never be able to accomplish anything on my own. Maybe I should run down the streets singing Hakuna Matata, find everyone who recognized it, and form a club. The Try to Fix, but End up Making the Entire World Worse club. No I couldn’t do that, the name was too long.

These thoughts circled in my head the whole way down the tree and cause me to nearly fall out of it. At least I would have gotten down faster.

Sometimes when I think, I forget to think. As confusing as that sounds it's true. There I was, thinking about all of these important-ish things, and there I was not paying attention to where I was walking. I bumped into something and fell to the ground. That was one good thing about being so short, I never fell as far as I used to.

I had walked into a woman who was bending over to help me up. Looking into her face my eyes widened. She must have thought I was scared she would yell at me because she smiled and tried to calm me down, but that wasn't the problem.

She was beautiful. She had long flowing red hair, and such a large smile. Her companion, who I hadn't even noticed, looked down.

"Is something wrong Kushina?" I looked up at the voice and then I saw him. You know;  _Him_. Minato Namikaze. The fourth Hokage. I was looking at the fourth Hokage. A legend, a  _living_  legend. They weren't dead yet.

My heart hurt. It was aching for these people I only knew through a book, but still, to me they were people. They had loved each other. They were building a life for themselves. Soon they would have a child together. They would be so happy and excited. Everyone would be happy for them. But none of them knew what would actually happen.

How when in labor, the Kyuubi would be set loose, how they would both so readily sacrifice their lives for their son. The son they would never get to raise as their own; their son who would change the Shinobi world.

The boy they would not get to see again for a very long time and even then only as chakra, a mere memory of themselves. I was so sad for these people because I knew there was nothing I could do.

They were looking at me now. I had been silent for so long, maybe they thought I would cry. I stood up rigidly and the woman held out a hand to steady me. Smiling politely I apologized for bumping into them.

"S-sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's alright sweetie. Are you alright? Do you need help getting home?" I shook my head at her and said, "My brother is just down the street thank you." I felt like I needed to say or do something, anything. I wanted to help them so badly. With nothing better to do I glanced down and noticed some flowers on the ground. Bending over, I scooped up a few and handed one to each of them.

"Thank you," I said quickly as I scurried past them and began scanning the crowd for my brother. Looking back at them I saw bewildered confusion on their faces. They soon shrugged it off and continued on their way. As I walked further from the two I heard laughter that made me want to smile at them for their happiness and cry for what I knew was to come.

But I didn't. Instead I found my brother and Izumo and quietly followed them home. Feeling overwhelmed I went straight to my bedroom and fell into a fitful sleep as I waited to be fetched for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Leave a comment to let me know what you thought.  
> ToeGirth,  
> Signing Out


	4. Like Crushed Grass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If a buffalo... never mind. Even I don't know where I was going with that one.  
> Authors Note: So it's a little more often than twice a week, but... yeah. Enjoy.

Chapter 4- Like Crushed Grass

_“Tears of pain, tears of joy, one thing nothing can destroy, is our pride deep inside,”_ Simba- The Lion King

The next year passed almost quietly. I spent my time learning. Knowing that I knew I was in the Naruto world cleared up a lot of my questions. Then again it raised so many more I don't know if that could count as progress. I tried to take things slowly, let it all sink in and stay in, before moving on to other things.

I talked with Izumo and Kotetsu and learned more about them both. I asked Izumo about his family and found out that he too had civilian parents. They didn't understand why he wanted to be a ninja but were always supportive of him. My parents didn't like that my brother was trying to be a ninja but they never tried to talk him out of it. They respected his right to make his own decisions.

I spent a lot of that year trying to make my own. I didn't want to be a ninja. Yes it would be cool, but there is so much more to being a ninja then just being 'cool'. I would be risking my life, pushing myself farther than I ever had before, and most likely end up dying. Again.

I had no delusions about myself. I knew I was weak and would always be an average ninja at most. I knew it would be hard, even with the threat of Madara and Pein hanging over my head, I know I would never have the determination to really fix anything. At most I'd just be another convenient meat shield.

I was also scared. I hate saying it, but even having died before, I was scared to do it again. Because I knew it would be painful, and as childish as it sounds, I don't like being in pain. I didn't want to think about these things, but I had too.

Even if I pushed the looming threats to the back of my head until the time came, I knew it would affect me. It would affect everyone. Everyone would suffer. And I wanted to do something, but I knew how small my existence was.

Even if I was to try as hard as humanly possible and then some, I would only be imprinting my existence and ideas on so few people it would hardly make a difference.

I'm not Naruto; I don't have his unyielding faith and determination. And it angered me. I was so upset at myself for not even trying, but at the same time I understood how pointless it would be. I made my decision.

I would go to the academy and push myself as hard as I could. If all else fails at least I’ll be strong enough to protect my family for a short time. I began trying to prepare myself for my time at the academy by bullying Kotetsu into teaching me exercises and ways to strengthen my body.

I hated sweating, but I would do it if it meant I would survive just a little bit longer. I would stretch my body and begin working up my endurance and flexibility. I was still awkward in my new body, but I was adjusting quickly with my goal in mind.

After spending so much time working with Kotetsu and sometimes Izumo I got to see their proficiency with weapons and their teamwork first hand. It was amazing. They were still so young they hadn't even graduated yetand their teamwork, though it could use a bit of work, was much better than I thought it would be at this point in time.

In the show I think you only ever get to see them fight once or twice, but here I was working with the two of them and I could see it quite clearly. And they were good. It was both inspiring and humbling at the same time. I wanted to be better, to be able to fight with them rather than just getting instructions here and there.

Watching them, I knew that this was still only Genin level. It really made me wonder what it would be like to watch two Jonin going at it. I wanted to learn, to improve, so I did. But even I knew it still wasn't enough.

Eventually I spoke with my parents about my decision. My mother flat out refused. It took a lot of persuasion skills to even show her what I knew so far. I wouldn't be old enough to go to the academy until I was six, the age for entering in times of peace.

With my brother on my side and my father as neutral we finally convinced her to let me attend. And even though I wouldn't be entering for another two years it felt final. I had permission; I was going to do this. And nothing scared me more.

For me the hardest part is always making the decisions. I can be very indecisive, but once I make up my mind I stick with it as far as I can. So I continued to work. My mother still hoped I would change my mind about going to the academy.

She would introduce me to civilian girls my age to try to show me that it was alright not to go just because my older brother did; that I could be happy without going. She taught me how to sew in the hopes that I would decide to do that for a living.

And as much I didn't want to be a ninja, I hated the fact that she kept trying to talk me out of it. I understand that I'm her only daughter, that she knows nothing about the ninja world, and that it’s scary to let me do something so dangerous, I really understood.

But no matter how much I tried to keep my patience with her, she made me angry. I think it was the first time I had gotten truly angry at someone in this world. And I hated myself for that. She was my mother. She loved me.

How could I get angry at her for something like that? But I could tell that she was angry too. She was angry at me, at Kotetsu, at my father. I didn't like the tension that was now constantly hanging over the house.

Even in my old life I had always been very sensitive to the people around me. I could usually tell how someone felt. And my chakra only seemed to have strengthened that. Without it I don't think I would have noticed that my father was angry too.

And that was worrying to think about. He was always calm and happy. Even when most in his position would get upset he always dealt with things without getting to emotionally involved. But right now, I could tell he was angry. Not at me or Kotetsu but our mother.

The house was tense like this for over a week until my father decided to fix it. I don't know what he said or did. But when my parents came back from their date a week later everything, all the anger and fear she had been feeling, was gone. I have got to learn how to do that.

Because of my training I began spending a lot more time outside. And that's when I finally noticed it. Kotetsu was walking me to the park where we were going to climb trees again, except this time he wasn't going to help me so I had to use my own strength to get up.

The moment we got there he began climbing immediately while I started a staring contest with the tree. I was trying to find the best place to grab hold and begin. When I touched the tree to test the closest branches strength I almost flinched. It was alive.

I had forgotten about that, having been so overwhelmed by meeting Naruto's parents. Except this time it was stronger. I could feel it almost as if it was an extension of me. And when I went to touch one of the flower buds, it bloomed. It was barely spring yet and this bud had bloomed in the space of seconds. That's not normal.

"Suikazura, you won't get anywhere it you just stand there," my brother teased from somewhere above. I rolled my eyes and replied, "I'm sizing up my opponent,"

"You're supposed to climb it, not fight it," he yelled back down.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming hold your horses. Sometimes you have less patience then a toddler."

"Whatever, just get up here I want to show you this bird's nest I found."And so I began to climb. With each branch I touched another flower would bloom. It was strange. I know I had caused it, but there had never been anyone or anything in the book that could do that. Except maybe Yamato, but he used wood, not flowers.

I needed to experiment but now was not the time. I resolved to speak with Kotetsu about chakra control. He was surprisingly good at it. Hopefully I could learn enough to stop things from spontaneously growing at my touch. And if I could learn to control it… well that would be nice. But right then I had a tree to climb.

My birthday came and passed as I began learning basic chakra control. I didn't really have too much because my coils wouldn't start growing until I was eight but I could work with what I had. I had to.

I began walking around my backyard without shoes on to see if I could make things grow through my feet. I could. Everything I touched with any part of my body began to grow. I began lying in the backyard for hours at a time with my hands on the ground trying to sense things.

I could feel the flowers next to the fence, the tree down the street, the dying weeds in my neighbor's trash bin, as well as the honeysuckle vines climbing up the side of my house. I felt so small at times like that, when I could feel each blade of grass, each leaf flowing in the wind.

I soon learned that when I try to make things grow its more energy draining than when they just do it on their own. I think because I don't have any chakra control yet everything that leaks out, instead of being wasted, gets sucked into the nearest plant making it grow.

It was fascinating. It was something my adult mind could enjoy. With my family I was the four year old baby of the house, with my brother and Izumo (who I was beginning to think of as a brother,) I was a student straining my body to become stronger.

But here, in the backyard with the plants- my plants, I was the twenty-one year old I knew myself to be. It was relaxing for me to have different people to be in different places. It's what I was used to. And I was really beginning to feel at home.

But I had gotten so caught up in my own little head I forgot about the rest of the world. My wakeup call wasn't a pleasant one. I was four at the time and winter was slowly but surely making itself known by the chill in the air.

It was the alarms that woke me. Going downstairs I saw the rest of my family crowding in the kitchen. My parents were pale and staring out the window in shock. I moved toward them trying to catch a glimpse of what had scared them when I felt Kotetsu pulling me back and shaking his head.

 I was confused for a moment but then I remembered. It was October tenth. Naruto's birthday, the day the Kyuubi was set loose on the village. We heard knocking on the door and all turned as the person let themselves in.

It was a boy no older than fourteen. He looked scared but determined as he ushered us out of the house and towards the Hokage monument where I knew the safety shelters to be. We were being evacuated for our own safety because the village was in danger.

My father scooped me up and tried to hide my eyes as we made our way toward the mountain but I saw it, the fox. He was  _huge_ , his chakra menacing, and he was  _angry._  His hate was so strong I could almost feel it as my own.

Only years of practice at distancing myself from others emotions stopped me from screaming in rage myself. It was scary. All the other civilians were being evacuated by the Genin and those deemed too young to fight the monster.

We finally made it to safety when Kotetsu made to leave us. I was so scared of letting him go. My parents apparently felt the same way.

"Where do you think you're going?" My mother's voice didn't have its usual edge to it. Kotetsu just looked at her, jaw clenched stubbornly.

"I need to find Izumo. He-"his voice cracked a moment.

"He lived in that area. I need to find him." My father's eyes widened in understanding.

"Go," he said in a low voice, skin pulled taut around his mouth.

"Kinzoku you can't-,"my mother began but was cut off when my father spoke again.

"He'll be fine. He won't leave the shelter and if he can't find Izumo within the hour then he will come right back," Kotetsu nodded and left but my mother looked no more reassured by his words then she had before they were spoken.

Kotetsu returned not twenty minutes later with his best friend in tow. He was crying, or at least he had been. He looked broken and I knew before I heard the words, what had happened. My parents enveloped him in a hug and we stayed with him the whole night.

We all knew words wouldn't do anything right now so we just sat with him, spoke quietly of things that didn't matter, and placated his frayed nerves with our calming words. They didn't let us out until well into the next morning.

Shinobi were running all over the village, picking up weapons and bodies all over the place, and this was what it was like after most of the work was done. Our house had been in one of the high damage zones but right then that didn't even matter.

The announcement was made throughout the town about the Fourths death and about the funeral services being held for all who had fallen in the attack. Thinking about it, right then our village was more vulnerable than ever. If another nation were to attack us now, there would be almost nothing we could do to stop it. But they didn't.

The Fourth Hokage was known all around the world by Shinobi and civilian alike. Armies would flee at the sight of him on the battlefield, and now he was gone. It showed how respected he was that we were left to grieve in peace.

I just found it sad that his last wish, that his son be treated as the hero he was, would never be respected. But I could understand why he wasn't. To the civilians the Fourth Hokage was a sign: a sign of change, strength, and peace. And he was gone.

It wasn't just the end of one man's reign but the end of an era, an era where things were good, where most people were happy, where they were safe. And they needed to place their anger somewhere. It just hurt that they chose a little boy, a baby at the moment, to carry their pain. It's disgusting really, but it's in human nature and that is not something that is easy to go against.

Our village spent a long time fixing itself. My family took Izumo in and decided to move. Our house had been demolished and even after being rebuilt it wasn't quite big enough for the four of us, so bigger housing became our priority.

We found a nice sized house and it felt like we were beginning again, which in a sense, we were. Izumo was a lot quieter now but we knew he appreciated us taking him in. He had his own room but for the first week of staying with us he slept in Kotetsu's.

I could hear them talking through the wall sometimes and I'm sure my parents did as well but they never complained. They knew he needed to talk, and every morning he was looking better and better.

After two weeks of settling in we finally met our next door neighbors. That threw me off a bit. Imagine my surprise when my mother and I were greeted one afternoon by Inoichi Yamanaka. He came with his wife and baby daughter later introduced as Ino.

He didn't stick around for long, he was still busy like a lot of the other Jonin, but his wife and daughter stayed for a while. His wife was nice. She spoke with my mother and I about their flower shop next door, and even pointed out their greenhouses from our back porch.

We were invited over for dinner the next evening and my mother graciously accepted. Later that night my mother told my father of the next evening’s plans and he agreed readily enough.

My mother then used dinner as lecture time as she told us exactly how she expected us to behave at someone else's house. I felt a bit nostalgic. It was at times like this where she reminded me of my old mother so much it almost hurt.

Our dinner out went off without a hitch and after showing my interest in the plants Yamanaka-san promised to teach me about the flowers and what sort of properties they held. I was excited to learn about the plants.

Right now all I could do was make them grow, but if I knew what they did then maybe I could be more helpful to the village. And right then I wanted to be helpful so badly. So many people had died, so much had to be fixed and here I was happily eating dinner with my new neighbors.

I spent as much time as I could, learning and growing in both strength and size. It was during one of my afternoons in the grass that I realized something quite handy. I had my eyes closed and was focused on my breathing, and all the plants around me.

 I felt the ones in the greenhouse next door and frowned as I felt the cold slowly killing a few of them. It made sense that they were dying, it was well into December now, but I didn't want them to die.

Not really thinking I sent my chakra in that direction and felt the plants once again grow strong. And then I cursed myself for being so stupid. They were going to notice that. At least they wouldn't be able to tell it came from me. I hope.

Lying back down, I focused on the grass. And again I felt something different. The grass near the porch felt smushed, flat. Tilting my head backwards I noticed Kotetsu and Izumo looking at me.

They slowly made their way over and I felt them crush all the grass on the way. That's interesting. As they both lay down on either side of me the grass they had crushed, with the help of my chakra, began to grow again.

The three of us lay there silently, just staring at the sky and enjoying the quiet moment of peace. And even though everything around us still felt broken and crushed, it was slowly but surely, just like the grass, growing back to its former height, and when we reach it we will grow even taller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it. Leave a comment to let me know.  
> ToeGirth,  
> Signing Out


	5. I Miss…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: HAKUNA MATATA! It means its not mine, for the rest of my days!!  
> Authors Note: Well here it is, the moment only one person has been waiting for. The next chapter!

Chapter 5\- I Miss…

_“She said, “I’m sad,” somehow without any words,”_ Everything is Alright- Laura Shigihara

Dinner at the Yamanaka’s became a regular thing for my family. My parents who hadn’t gone out much since my birth enjoyed having friends they could talk to. My mother and Yamanaka-san’s wife got along especially well. They always talked about their daughters which, to my embarrassment, included me.

My mother would talk about all the trouble they had with me as a baby and how when I was born I had had the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around my neck. That explained a lot.

My brother waved it off as girly talk and would instead question Yamanaka-san about his work at T&I. I was also interested and listened intently to everything he told us. I’m sure that a lot of the stuff that goes on there is confidential and he successfully dodged all pointed questions instead telling the boys about standard procedure.

Izumo was particularly interested in what he had to say. After living with him for a few months, I had learned that he loved watching people and was good at interpreting their actions as well. It made sense.

I’m fairly certain the two of them worked for T&I at some point. My mother tuned in when he spoke of one of the particularly… harsh ways to get people to talk. She went white and quickly covered my ears with her hands. My father laughed it off and told her I was fine and that I was listening as calmly as the boys.

“That’s the problem Kinzoku,” she snapped at him.

“Yamanaka-san, I hate asking this of you in your own house, but Suikazura…” she trailed off as if she didn’t know how to finish, but he seemed to understand.

“It is alright Hagane-san. I will refrain from talking about work with your daughter present,”

“Thank you,” she replied gratefully.

“Yeah thanks Suikazura. That was getting interesting you know,” Kotetsu said with a pout. One look from my mother had Kotetsu silent the rest of dinner. I noticed though that Yamanaka-san was looking at me strangely. As if I had done something wrong.

Oh. I had been listening to him describe how they torture people for information for over an hour now and had yet to react. I had a friend who used to love horror movies and the like. I would get a daily lecture on how to best physically torture people. At this point talking about couldn’t really faze me anymore.

 I’m sure if I were to see it I would freak, but I’m fine with just talking about it. I really hoped he would brush it off as being too young to understand. But now he was watching me. He had to have noticed that I don’t always act like a four year old should. It’s his job to spot these things. How could I be so stupid?

“Hagane-san, I can’t help but notice that Suikazura has quite a large vocabulary for someone her age,” Yamanaka-san said in a pleasant tone. I couldn’t stop my body from involuntarily tensing. Looking up slightly I could see him smiling at my mother but his eyes would dart over to me occasionally, as if sizing me up.

“She has always been very smart. And now that she can read she just sucks up information like a sponge,” was my father’s reply. He looked over at my father when he began speaking and now he was watching my mother again.

She was of course quick to agree with someone about my supposed intelligence, though I wasn’t really feeling any of it right now.

“Oh yes, she practically skipped the stage of one word sentences. When it comes to things like that she gets into a very all or nothing mindset,” she said in full out ‘mother’ mode.

“That’s a good trait for a shinobi to have. Tell me, does she plan on attending the academy?” Yamanaka-san asked. My mother tensed a little. That was still a sore subject for her. So instead I decided to reply myself.

“Yes. I will be joining two years from now. Kotetsu and Izumo have been helping me get stronger so that I don’t fall behind.”

“That’s very nice of your brother,” he commented.

“Yeah, especially when I wake up extra early to stretch with her in the mornings,” Kotetsu said with a slight glare in my direction. Never one to back down from a challenge I did what anyone in my situation would do. I spat at him.

“Suikazura!” was my mother’s outraged cry. But it was worth it as now everyone was laughing except Kotetsu who was torn between laughing and glaring harder at me. I just smiled cheekily across the table and the glaring side of him won.

Potential crisis averted we finished our meal and made our way back home. I had forgotten that this was a shinobi village. I don’t know why the thought of people knowing about me scared me so much.

Even if they get suspicious of me I have every alibi backing me up. My family knew me. There is no way for me to be working for another village. But I was still a little unsettled from our conversation. What if they thought I was some sort of genius?

Or that I’m really strong or something? Of course they would quickly find out that I wasn’t, but I still resolved to be careful around Yamanaka-san. By the time spring and my birthday came around, I had calmed down enough to have a conversation with the man again.

 One morning, as I was barefoot in the backyard doing my usual morning exercises, I got so focused on what I was doing that I stopped paying attention to my surroundings. Something I have got to stop doing before it gets me killed.

I had started the morning as I usually did by going outside and beginning my stretching and breathing. Over the winter I had thought about my, as I liked to call it, Green Disposition.

Things would grow if I concentrated and sent my chakra to an area. They would also grow just by being in my general vicinity. And when a plant was in immediate contact with me it would grow even faster.

That was nice and all but I needed it to stop. I figured that if it’s all my excess chakra being used, I have to stop leaking chakra. I had no idea how to do that. I know I can’t cut the flow off completely but there had to be some way to lessen the amount being sent to my limbs. I just didn’t know it.

Instead of dwelling on it, I started to focus on the harder exercises while still trying to keep my breath even. I say try because doing twenty push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, and splits all the while keeping your breath slow and relaxed is not as easy as it sounds.

And it doesn’t sound easy. I was finishing up with some more simple things to calm my heart rate when a voice made me jump.

“It’s not often you see someone as dedicated as yourself Suikazura. And to think you’re not even in the academy yet,” a voice from behind me said. Yamanaka-san then laughed at my startled expression causing me to blush. That is really embarrassing.

“Do you get up this early every morning?” he inquired. I nodded my head in reply.

“Well I was just on my way to the green house when I saw you out here. My wife tells me you’re very interested in the flowers. Would you like to come along and help?” I was torn. On one hand I really wanted to learn more about them.

My lessons with his wife had been so interesting even if I only ever remembered half of what she tells me. But on the other hand, me in a greenhouse full of plants and a very observant ninja did not sound like a very good idea.

He must have seen the indecision on my face because, in such a persuasive voice, he added, “I’ll even let you use the hose.” Honestly I’m almost ashamed that that’s really all it took.

 Against all odds I was able to keep control of myself fairly well, and if he noticed the occasional spike of chakra and healthier flowers he said nothing. At least they didn’t go crazy. I had gotten to the point where being near the plants only made them perk up. A few will grow here and there but progress was progress and who was I to complain.

 We spoke a little about my training and if I was excited to go to the academy. I played my part of the overly eager child to him quite well and we eventually fell into a comfortable silence. We finished and began to make our way back towards the gate separating our yards when he spoke up.

“That’s a nifty thing you can do with the plants.” And here I was hoping to get away scot-free.

“Do they always grow so much around you?” The question sounded innocent and was probably meant to make me feel at ease. It had the opposite effect. I didn’t know how to answer. Do I tell him and admit to randomly being able to make plants grow?

Wouldn’t that make me suspicious? Do I try to play it off as nothing? But wouldn’t that make him suspicious of me as well? I wanted to tell him. I hate having to hide it. But I had no idea how he, or anyone for that matter, would react. And now I’d taken too long to reply. Great.

“So you are able to make plants grow just by being in the same area. Have you tested your limits with this ability of yours?” Dejected that I had been found out I just decide to tell him the truth.

And really, I should have expected this. It’s his job to get into people’s minds and pull out answers, both figuratively and literally, and it’s not like I was doing a good job of hiding it either.

“I never specifically tried to push my limits but I did explore them,” I replied sullenly. He on the other hand seemed ecstatic that I was answering his questions.

“When did you find out about this?” I thought for a moment before replying, “I felt the plants when I was three, but I never made anything grow until I was four.” He nodded his head as if I was just confirming suspicions. That was creepy. Does that mean he had noticed before and had waited to bring it up to me?

“Why did you want to know?” It was worth a shot.

“The ability to control plants, or wood is a little rare. I was merely interested in how much you could do,” he said conversationally. Well that’s the understatement of the year. Rare is how most would describe wind-type chakra.

 Right now there is only one man alive who can do wood element-type Jutsu. I doubt I would ever be able to. Though I can feel wood and make it grow, it always does at a much slower rate than any flowers or vines, and sucks out twice as much chakra.

But it’s not like I can tell Yamanaka-san any of this, so instead I just went with, “Oh, is that all?” He laughed a little at the bluntness but nodded his head all the same.

“Why don’t you head on home. I’m sure you’re hungry for breakfast after all the work you did this morning,” he said kindly, reminding me of the time.

“Okay. Thank you for letting me help you in the green-house Yamanaka-san, I had a lot of fun.” Smiling sweetly I turn around and head back to my house.

By the time summer came I was still very wary of Yamanaka-san. He hadn’t mentioned any of our past conversation to me or my parents. I wondered if he told the Hokage, and if he did I wondered what he said. Did the Hokage tell him to watch me?

That seemed the most likely option at the moment. We were neighbors so it would be easy, as well as the fact that technically I was only five. If he spoke with the Hokage then he must know I can grow plants unnaturally fast, that’s all I gave away.

But I’m fairly certain that Yamanaka-san could see where I down played it, and he must have known I was reluctant to tell him. As a civilian I shouldn’t know that it is a ‘rare’ ability, and it makes me wonder what he gathered from that. I was over thinking again and so to distract myself I went off to bother my brother.

The time for his graduation was just a week away and I wanted to spend some more time with him before he got too busy with missions. We spent the day at the park with Izumo and just enjoyed each other’s company.

 I was seven years younger than them so I understood why they sometimes didn’t want to play with me, but it meant a lot to me when they did. The three of us climbed the tree we were beginning to think of as ours and sat together on one of the larger branches chatting idly.

“Next week I’m going to graduate. That makes me a ninja. Which means you have to do everything I say,” Kotetsu declared loudly at me.

“I do not! I can do whatever I want. Like push you out of this tree,” I trailed off with a mischievous glint in my eye. My comment had its desired effect. He immediately tensed up and grabbed onto the tree trunk, causing Izumo to laugh at our antics.

“You two are so mean to me,” he whined.

“You really do deserve it most of the time,” Izumo said, causing me to laugh this time. Kotetsu just sighed as if he were the most put upon man on the earth, just causing Izumo and I to laugh even harder.

I knew the boys were nervous about the graduation test, but I also knew that they were even more nervous about their new teams. Neither one of them wanted to be separated. They had grown up together and lived together like brothers; they were each other’s comfort zones.

I knew that at school they didn’t spend as much time with their other classmates as they did each other. I already knew that they would be on the same team because of my knowledge of the future, but right now to them this must be one of the scariest moments of their life so far.

“They won’t separate you, you know.” It was quiet but I knew they heard me when Izumo replied.

“What makes you say that?”

“The teachers there have trained you since day one. They know your strengths and weaknesses probably better then you do. They must have seen your teamwork. It’s almost flawless. By putting the two of you on a team together with someone who lacks in teamwork, after training together you guys could become part of one of the most efficient teams Konoha has,” was my reply.

“Wow Suikazura. That’s probably the most I’ve ever heard you say at one time. You must be ill if you’re actually talking to people.” That was Kotetsu’s way of saying he got the message, but it didn’t stop that comment from being obnoxious.

“It’s a good thing you don’t count as people, then doesn’t it?” Never had I been gladder that Izumo was sitting between us. It didn’t help that he was laughing though. In the end, Kotetsu and I both rolled our eyes at each other in a silent truce. We both knew we would have more chances to pick on each other in the future.

After that the boys both visibly relaxed and by the time we made it home, though their nerves hadn’t left them, they had definitely calmed down. I was glad. I wasn’t used to seeing those two, who had always been un-faze-able in my eyes, looking so nervous.

The week passed quietly and on the day of the exam both boys ran home holding out their shiny new Leaf headbands for all of us to see. They were so proud of themselves; it was amusing to watch.

We held a small dinner party with the Yamanaka’s who brought a teething baby Ino over as well. There was food, cake, and presents for the boys making the evening one of the most enjoyable I had had in a while. The teams would be announced tomorrow, but for now they were happy and I was glad.

The next day they both came home looking excited. My father and I sat down and just listened as the two of them chattered about their new teammate and Sensei. They had in fact been put on the same team along with a girl named Etsuko. The three of them were to be taught by their new Sensei whose name was Genma.

Kotetsu complained and said he was way too young to be a teacher, but Izumo disagreed and said must have been at least eighteen and he was good. Kotetsu grudgingly agreed.

 It was funny to watch them talking back and forth. Something I missed about my old friends was just talking about nothing. Here all the children my age were just that, children. It was frustrating at times.

In my old life, if something was bothering me I wouldn’t tell people about it. Instead I talked. It helped me calm my thoughts and figure the answer out for myself.

There was no one here I could talk at, and sometimes I would feel like all the pointless chatter would build up inside me and explode. Wow, I must have been missing people because the image of blowing up for lack of talking is a bit melodramatic.

 I miss not being melodramatic on purpose to make my friends laugh. I miss telling corny jokes back and forth just to pass the time. I miss talking about Harry Potter and exposing all the plot holes.

I miss staying up until six in the morning playing Tales of Symphonia and trying to figure out the characters and their motivations even after completing the game multiple times. For the first time in quite a while I missed my life.

No matter how screwed up it had been, I was lucky and had amazing friends. And right then I missed them more than anything else in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave a comment to let me know.  
> ToeGirth,  
> Signing Out


End file.
